Childhood days

I grew up in a very small semi urban town called Garhwa in the state of Jharkhand in India. I come from a conservative middle class society where menstruation is still a taboo. As a child I remember, I would get curious about sanitary napkins while watching advertisements on TV. My mother would get embarrassed and try to avoid the subject. When I explicitly asked her about it, she told “you would know about it once you grow up”.

At the age of 11, I met with a serious accident and was totally bed ridden for months. My mother would fix a narrow pipe to my urinary tract to help me with urination. One day while fixing the pipe my mother saw some traces of blood in my vagina which was actually due to a minor cut received earlier while fixing the pipe. She thought I have started my periods and she told me about periods for the first time. She said that all girls and women get it. I was the youngest among my cousins and they had already started getting their periods. I realized why suddenly all my elder cousin sisters had started their private conversations and wouldn’t let me be a part of it.

First period and the burden of myths

I got my first period when I was 12 years old. I informed about it to my mother and she made me bathe with 2 and half mug of water. By doing so, she believed my flow would last only for 2 and half days. Nevertheless, I was a heavy bleeder like my mother and my flow would last for at least 7 days if not more. I started off with using old discarded cotton cloth folded in the shape of a pad to absorb the flow. I used to get debilitating cramps and my daily routine would go for a toss. Things became worse when restrictions arising from age old myths were thrust upon me during my periods. I wasn’t allowed to sit on other’s bed but just mine. I wasn’t allowed to touch the place of worship or anything holy in the house. I had to wash and dry my cloths separately. During periods I wasn’t allowed to eat or touch pickle as it was believed that they would get spoilt if I touched them. After my periods would get over, I had to wash the bed sheet whether it’s stained or not. In short, I was treated as impure or polluted and I was expected to have become “pure” only after the 7^th day when I had taken a bath and washed my hair.

I was strictly told by my mother to not let my father or brothers get even a hint of my periods. Since menstrual blood is considered impure, I and mom used to store the used and washed cloth pads in a very dark, damp and not so clean corner of the bathroom. Even today I feel sorry for the 12 year old me. My parents are well educated and were financially well off. We could have easily afforded sanitary pads but the question was who would go to buy them and risk their and the family’s dignity. Back in 1992 and even today in many societies menstruation is an unspeakable curse.

I got my first period when I was in class 7^th, and many of my friends did too. But the subject of menstruation was not introduced in our textbooks well until we were in class 9^th. Our biology teacher was a male and he asked us to go through the chapter on our own and ask him in case we had any doubts about it. The teacher was quite friendly to us and obviously his skipping the chapter made the whole subject of menstruation and child-birth a taboo for us. We learnt to deny our own body, our own self right from the time we start growing up and then everything surrounding it, be it child molestation, rape, periods, pregnancy, intercourse, even touching and hugging becomes shameful and embarrassing.

All this while I only knew that period were important so that I can have a baby some day in future. Becoming a mother is a big deal and a very important aspect of women in our societies. Woman who can’t bear child are considered unfortunate, unlucky and have no respect within the family or in the society.

Goodbye rags

Due to lack of better education I took admission in a school in a different city away from my home. I had to stay in a hostel. There was only one bathroom for every 10 girls. Washing and drying cloth pads was not possible there. I saw my roommate using whisper napkin. She told that one can easily buy them at the medical stores. So I went to the medical shop and very shyly asked for the brand name, the shop keeper wrapped the packet with paper and then put it in a black poly bag and gave it to me. I was using sanitary napkins for the first time at the age of 15. It was so much dry, less messy and comfortable as compared to using cloth pieces as pads. Over the next 12 years I had tried, testing and using napkins of various brands and absorbencies.

During my post graduation days, I got into a relationship with one of my batch mates, Tuhin. Tuhin was an activity partner and we often worked on projects together. We are now happily married. Tuhin has only one sibling, a younger brother, so he never got a chance to know about periods beyond what’s taught in the biology textbooks in the schools. After knowing about the inconvenience that I went through every month, Tuhin started to search for more information on menstruation and different ways to manage it in the hope that he could be of some help during those days of the month. He told me many things that I myself did not know about periods. It occurred to us that if there are so many essential things about menstruation that’s unknown to me even after having periods for past several years and in spite of being well educated, there must be millions others who might be ignorant about menstrual management. So I took up a yearlong project on menstrual awareness. This research project had laid the grounds for Menstrupedia.

Tampons

While working in Mumbai, I had joined swimming classes. I enjoyed swimming a lot and wondered how am I going to continue during my periods? That’s when I learnt about tampons and started using them but was always wary about TSS. Every time I used them I had to keep track of time to change them.

Menstrual cups

It was during late last year that I and Tuhin started our initiative Menstrupedia with the hope of sharing our knowledge and experiences about menstruation. While researching about the subject I came across menstrual cups many times but never felt a need to dig enough to know about them or maybe I was too comfortable and structured to try anything other than pad or tampon. While researching about various menstrual products, Tuhin found that the benefits of menstrual cup along with the overtly positive user testimonials made it definitely worth a try. So we bought a menstrual cup. Since then I have been using it without complaint. It has not only saved me money but also the trouble of buying fresh supply of pads or tampons every period and I don’t have to worry about waste disposal anymore and I would never like to go back to using pads and tampons anymore. That leaves me wondering, had I known about these different, better ways to manage periods, I wouldn’t have had to bear the agony of being a girl every month.

 Aditi Gupta is the founder of Menstrupedia. She believes in spreading awareness about menstruation in a fun and entertaining manner. In her free time she blogs about crafts made from common household waste along with the DIY tutorials.

Did you miss our Facebook Q&A with Nicole Jardim of The Healthy Elements? Not to worry! We’ve collected some of the top questions and Nicole’s answers here. Thanks to everyone who participated — it was a super fun and informative hour!

What’s the best way to prevent pre-menstrual bloating and sore breasts?

There are many ways to reverse these issues. You want to start incorporating vegetables that reduce water retention during the second half of your cycle. There are things like fennel (that’s a great one).

These issues might be caused by something called Estrogen Dominance, where estrogen becomes too high in your body in relation to progesterone. Symptoms include your symptoms as well as emotional symptoms that we experience before our period.

My best foods for reducing estrogen in our bodies are cruciferous leafy green vegetables, kale in particular. You can also try collard greens and mustard greens. You should eat them once a day. Cruciferous veggies have a compound in them called DIM that helps metabolize estrogen so any excess can be removed.

How can my diet or other lifestyle factors help with chronic yeast infections? I’ve started eating yogurt often.

I highly recommend other foods that have a high probiotic count besides dairy. Dairy has been known to cause blockages in the reproductive organs for some women because it can be very mucus forming. I strongly recommend sauerkraut, it is full of probiotic good bacteria that will help rebalance your gut bacteria and ultimately your vaginal bacteria.

I struggled with chronic yeast issues for a long time and I found cutting out bread and incorporating foods that were fermented (like sauerkraut) were the best things. Also, I definitely recommend a probiotic tablet like Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal Support. It gets rid of chronic yeast issues very well!

Do you actually lose enough blood each month to make you anemic, if you have a tendency for that? Why do I sometimes feel dizzy around that time and not at other times?

I have felt that dizzy feeling on the first day of my period. Honestly, it’s your body telling you to slow down. Women are very cyclical by nature and at this time of the month, traditionally all women took a day or two of rest. Unfortunately we can’t do that all the time but if there is a way for you to start slowing down the couple of days before your period that would be a great start.

At the same time you could also be anemic, many women are. However, you don’t want to be. I would suggest checking to see if you are anemic through blood work and then getting enough iron into your diet through food. Also make sure you get enough vitamin C because it helps iron get absorbed by the body. I find a ton of things can be restored once you address the underlying nutritional deficiencies.

 I’m planning on switching from taking birth control pills to the standard days method, do you have any recommendations when it comes to making the switch? Ever since I started the pill I’ve had problems with yeast infections and want to switch to a natural method.

I use and highly recommend the Fertility Awareness Method. It was created by a woman named Tori Wechsler. This of course takes time before you should use as birth control but it can be highly effective for birth control and for baby making  Tori wrote a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility and you should definitely get it. This method involves taking your basal body temperature each morning. It can be a little confusing at first but once you get it, you’ll know your body and your cycle so well!

What resources (online or easily accessible) do you recommend for people to educate themselves about ‘natural’ healthy cycles and how their menstrual system works? Thanks!

Download  The Healthy Elements Women’s Health Resource List.

This guest post comes to us from Nicole, a women’s holistic health coach and the creator of Fix Your Period, a series of private and group programs that empower women to heal their menstrual conditions in a sassy and fun way. Join us Wednesday, February 20th, at 11 am PST/2 pm EST for a live Q&A session with Nicole on our Facebook page. Nicole will be answering your questions about diet, hormones, and health, to help you learn to love your period!

I used to be that girl who dreaded the week before my period AND my period. It would begin with the ridiculous sugar cravings (yes the kind where eating a whole chocolate cake would be just fine), then the bloating would start (probably because of the whole chocolate cake), soon after I’d morph into someone I didn’t recognize and it would all culminate in the worst cramps ever (think the kind of cramps that make you throw up and want to pass out). Then I’d finally get my period! That was my life for many years and I felt like I had no control over my body or what was happening to it every month. Approximately 80% of women struggle with similar issues every single month so I’m sure you can relate.

Eventually I figured out that I do have control – I have control over the food that I eat and how I live my life. Who knew!? I have learned over the years that every bite you take counts when it comes to how your body functions and how you want to feel physically and emotionally. Yes, food affects you emotionally. I have also learned that the main cause of PMS symptoms is an underlying hormonal imbalance in which your estrogen levels increase while your progesterone levels stay the same or decrease. This is known as Estrogen Dominance and it is very prevalent in younger women. The good news is its totally treatable by changing the food that you eat!

Check out my top three foods for combatting those dreaded PMS symptoms:

1. Dark leafy greens:

I’m sure you hear about them often but the term “dark leafy greens” might seem a little ambiguous. For instance, I used to go into Whole Foods and stare at the vast selection of green vegetables wondering what I could possibly do with any of them. Eventually I’d give up and walk out defeated and empty-handed. Then I did a little research and discovered that there are so many ways to cook and

Leafy greens have three crucial nutrients your body needs to eliminate PMS symptoms:  calcium, magnesium and the B vitamins. Calcium combats bloating and helps regulate brain chemicals that affect our mood. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant and therefore helps the uterine muscles relax, reducing or eliminating menstrual cramps. B vitamins, in particular B6, increase the rate at which the liver de-activates excess estrogen and sends it to the colon for removal.eat them. My favorites are kale, swiss chard, spinach and beet greens.

2. Complex carbohydrates:
Brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes are my absolute favorites. Complex carbohydrates provide sustained and high-quality energy because the body digests them slowly. Their high fiber content regulates blood sugar and gets the bowels moving! As I mentioned above, once your liver de-activates excess estrogen, it is sent to the colon for removal. So, in order to actually excrete the excess estrogen from your body you need to have enough fiber to move it on out. Otherwise, the estrogen will get reabsorbed back into your blood, even after your liver has tried to remove it. As you can imagine, this is no good.

FYI: carbohydrates such as white rice and white bread don’t count! Once eaten, they act the same as a chocolate bar, spiking and then crashing your blood sugar soon after. This will worsen the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance – namely that crazy-girl behavior that is so prevalent during PMS time.

3. Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
There has been lots of talk in recent years about Omega-3’s, and for good reason. Without getting too scientific, I’ll say that Omega-3 fatty acids suppress the production of inflammation-causing compounds in the body, thus reducing conditions caused by inflammation.

Scientists have found a correlation between low omega-3 concentrations in the blood and increased menstrual cramps, breast tenderness, nausea, headaches and depression. Hello, awesome! The fish that are highest in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, sardines and tuna. For those of you who don’t eat seafood or don’t have access to it I recommend eating lots of avocados, walnuts and chia seeds and/or taking a daily fish oil supplement that provides 1000mg of Omega-3’s.

Okay, that about sums up the very best foods you should be eating all month long to reduce or eliminate your PMS symptoms. Remember, you don’t have to continue to suffer. The truth is that suffering every month is completely unnecessary and you have the power to change it!

Nicole Jardim is a women’s holistic health coach and founder of The Healthy Elements, where she helps women fix their periods one hormone at a time. 

How long have you used reusable menstrual products?: Since 2008-2009

Reason for making the switch to reusables: I was taking a class on feminism and pop culture, and came across articles and stories of these cups and pads, that womyn made and advocated. I felt so empowered that I had to try it myself, and it was around the time that I was becoming aware of waste, sustainability, organic food, etc. After the first months, I was hooked! I talked to my friends, family, men and womyn about reusables! I still do! I hold workshops at schools, gardens, and at homes about these products!

Image Copyright National Breast Cancer Foundation

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For information on what you can do to help, visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

10 Important Facts You Should Know About Breast Cancer

Normal, healthy cells divide only when the body needs new cells. In some cases, cells in a certain part of the body will divide without control, which leads to the development of a tumor (mass of cell tissue). Sometimes, a tumor is noncancerous (benign) and the cells that are dividing out of control are normal. However, if abnormal cells divide out of control, the tumor is considered cancerous (malignant).

Breast cancer is a form of cancer in which the dividing, abnormal cells originate in the breast tissue. Breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, can spread throughout the breast tissue and to other parts of the body if left untreated. Of course, preventative medicine is ideal for reducing your risk. Early detection through regular checkups is also important in order to initiate the most effective treatment plan.

The following 10 facts provide additional information about breast cancer, which will help you to increase your awareness of this serious disease.

1. Breast self-exams are essential for early detection. Get into the habit of performing a breast self-exam at the same time every month (hormonal changes throughout the month can cause changes in how your breasts feel). By doing this once a month, you will get a better idea of how your breasts feel when they are healthy. Should any changes occur, you will be able to get a more thorough exam from your doctor.

2. Don’t panic if you feel lumps in your breast. Breast lumps (cysts) are common during the menstrual cycle. With regular self-exams, you may notice that you develop lumps in your breast that go away after a certain period of time.

3. Breast pain is usually a sign of hormonal changes, not cancer. Many women experience pain in one or both of their breasts due to hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle or menopause.

4. Outward signs of breast cancer are not usually apparent. However, a few common signs that may be detectable include a palpable lump, dimple in the breast, an area of the breast thickening, change in the shape or size of the breast, nipple scaling or discharge, increased warmth of the breast, or skin puckering on the breast.

5. Both mammograms AND clinical breast exams are important. While mammograms are important screening tools, they should not be the only screening tool that you take advantage of. An annual breast exam by a physician is imperative in order to detect forms of breast cancer that will not show up on mammograms.

6. Exercise is important for reducing the risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise helps in reducing estrogen levels, which is essential for lowering the risk of breast cancer.

7. Soy supplements increase risk of breast cancer. Soy-based foods have been touted as healthy food choices, and it’s true that soy foods such as organic edamame and organic tofu are just fine for your health. However, soy supplements contain concentrated amounts of isoflavones, which work like estrogen once ingested into your body. This can increase your risk for breast cancer.

8. Watch your weight after menopause. Maintaining your weight, no matter what age you are, is important for your overall health. However, maintaining a healthy weight becomes even more important after menopause, since studies have shown that overweight causes a dramatically increased amount of estrogen in women who are past the menopause stage, which can cause cancer growth in the breasts.

9. The risk of breast cancer increases in women with dense breasts. Breasts that are dense have cells that grow and divide at a much faster rate than less dense breasts. As a result, there’s a higher chance that cancerous cells will develop. While it’s not likely that you’ll be able to tell if you have dense breasts, your doctor will be able to perform a mammogram and clinical breast exam to determine breast density. If your doctor does find that you have dense breasts, it is important to get breast exam testing, in addition to mammograms, on an annual basis.

10. Build up your cancer-fighting arsenal with fresh produce. The antioxidants and other nutrients that are found in fresh fruits and vegetables will help you to reduce your risk of breast cancer. In particular, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage are powerful veggies that will help you combat breast cancer.

In Honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, guest blogger Valerie Johnston has presented 10 facts to keep you aware. Valerie is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

Tell us a little about yourself. What do want our readers to know about you?

I am a 46 year-old mother of three teenagers. Morgan, Leo and Alex. 19, 16, 13. Despite their androgynous names, Leo is the only boy. For the past 10 years I have been a stay at home mother and have relished the opportunity to spend time with and really know my kids.

I consider myself a creative person and having children really helped release this through craftwork done together, from making scrapbooks, painting, modeling with clay (which my son shows a tremendous talent for and I believe may someday be a famous sculptor), and jewelry making. I live an active lifestyle and enjoy swimming, playing soccer with a local league of middle-aged women, gardening, and taking long walks with our dog.

I’m also an avid reader and find myself drawn to contemporary female fiction. The way I see it reading about another woman’s life creates a broader sense of understanding and empathy of the human condition. I like being transported through words and that reading is an active engagement of the mind and not passive like watching television or movies.

What is FEBY? How does it work?

Feby is an acronym (sort of) for Female Empowerment Bracelet. Basically, it is a calendar for the menstrual cycle in the form of a bracelet. The bracelet consists of 28 wooden beads with different colors in a determined sequence that follows the pattern of the average menstrual cycle. All a user has to do to determine what phase of the cycle she’s currently in is to pull the knot that holds the bracelet together through one bead in a clockwise direction and the color it rests before will be the day she is living that day.

The bracelet starts with 5 red beads signifying the days of an average woman’s period, and then flows into white (which represents neutrality or non-fertile), through a spectrum of pinks which symbolize ovulation and fertility and the brighter the pink the higher the chances she is ovulating, back to white for a few days before the 3 black beads which illustrate pre-menstrual syndrome, and then it’s back to red. Our tag line is “What to expect when you’re NOT expecting.”

Each bracelet comes with an information pamphlet that explains the different phases in greater detail, along with where the user can contact us through our website, facebook, twitter, pinterest and google-plus.

I have received some concern from women who don’t have an ‘average’ cycle and while it’s true that Feby won’t work for all women, it will work for most and I choose to concentrate on that positive. Also, it takes young women a few years to develop a regular pattern and even over the course of her life can vary from month to month based on personal factors like stress and overall health.

What inspired you to create FEBY?

I was inspired to create Feby when my eldest daughter was in grade 8 at the local public school and received some information in health class about her period and what to expect. Talking about it with her made me realize that she wasn’t being given quite enough information to fully understand the menstrual cycle, and it also occurred to me that nothing had really changed in all the years since I had the same class in the 70’s. Simply telling young women that they will be extremely fertile approximately 14 days after the first day of her period just didn’t seem enough.

I thought about all my friends in high school and college who got pregnant unintentionally and how that fact influenced the rest of their lives because they either had the child, gave the child up for adoption, or aborted the pregnancy, all which change the course of a life or leave permanent physical and emotional scars. Understanding their bodies and menstrual cycle is such an important lesson for women to learn and I struggled with how it could be taught more effectively.

I personally, could never take the birth control pill as it caused high blood pressure when I was a fit 21 year-old. I didn’t think it made much sense to take another pill which would treat the high blood pressure when I could just stop taking the pill that caused the problem in the first place.

As such I became very familiar with the roller coaster ride of surging hormones and have been charting my cycle for decades. I use that information along with research on the average cycle and noticed how many diagrams consist of 28 days in a circle which led me to think of creating a bracelet based on it.

It’s curious how ideas come together and at the time I was grappling with the idea for the bracelet, I was also reading “The Heroin Diaries” by Nikki Sixx and the book is different in that instead of just black and white there was also a lot of red on every page. That infused my decision to use those colours in the bracelet and the pink to denote fertility just seemed an obvious choice.I was also wrestling with the idea of how to denote the day the user is on. Ironically the full moon was shining so bright through my window it woke me up at the exact moment I thought of using the knot to be the indicator. I say ironic because the moon and women are linked in a profound way, especially concerning our cycles.

All this said we do not market Feby as a method of birth control but it does give the user a better understanding of their cycle position so it encourages them to make wise decisions based on that information.

What’s your background? What were you doing before FEBY?

I’m a college graduate who enjoyed much success as a travel agent for high-end corporate clients for 15 years. By the time the third baby came along though, my husband’s millwork company was doing quite well and we decided together that I should leave my job and focus on raising the children since most of my salary was going towards child care anyways. I had visions of becoming a mom who had the time to bake cookies, coach my kid’s soccer team, make handmade Hallowe’en costumes, and really know my children and enjoy their childhood to the best of my ability. I am very fortunate as I consider the relationship I have with my children to be solid and strong and I have no regrets about leaving my career for them. Now, however, they need me less but the travel industry has changed so much with the advent of the internet so I feel no inclination to return to that field.

I started Feby with the support of my family and a small loan from our bank and am dedicating the next chapter of my life to making it a profitable and meaningful company. My goal is to get Feby in as many hands as possible as I have full confidence in it and know it can positively impact many. It’s intriguing to me that in the process of creating and marketing a tool to empower women, I have not only empowered myself but all the lovely women who have tirelessly hand-beaded the bracelets with me and earned a fair wage for their work.

It looks like many FEBY fans are young girls just entering the first stages of womanhood. Do you remember your first period? What was it like?

You are right in that the FEBY bracelets seem to appeal most to young girls just learning about their menstrual cycle. Many have told me that the bracelet offers a fun way to learn and makes talking about a potentially uncomfortable topic easier.

I was lucky in that my own first period came at an age when I was eagerly anticipating its’ arrival and was fully prepared (mostly because of my aforementioned love of reading and learning on my own with the help of Judy Blume and my parents family health guide about what to expect). I had just turned 14 and it was the summer before high school so I felt more than ready for this momentous day to arrive.

Like most first periods though, it didn’t happen at the most opportune time. I was in the city with a friend watching Terry Fox as his Marathon of Hope passed through but had to leave our spot on the sidelines when I felt the unfamiliar trickle between my legs. I snuck into a nearby coffee shop and used their facilities and bought a 10 cent sanitary napkin for the dispenser in the lady’s room, and stuffed 2 more in my knapsack because I didn’t know how frequently I would need to change it. I managed to contain my new womanly situation and still saw my hero so for me, it was a wonderful day that I will always remember with a smile and I know how rare and fortunate that is.

For more information on FEBY and how you can purchase your own, visit www.feby.com!

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased an Empower Kit through GladRags.com — your donations are making a difference! Read on to hear from Patty how cloth menstrual pads can help empower women in Africa.

I just returned from Uganda and had a wonderful time. The new uniforms and sanitary kits were well received. Hussein stood in front of the village parents and gave a speech about the importance of girls and education and about the GladRags cloth menstrual pad kits – some of the parents got embarrassed and Hussein was really funny addressing their embarrassment. Amazing that a school in rural Uganda has a more “open” community about talking on girl’s issues than we do here in the states!

There is a teacher at the schools that meets monthly with older girls to talk all about their personal issues – like a mentor – really cool. We are encouraging the girls who got sanitary kits to pick a younger girl at the school to mentor and take under their wing in order to help them be more comfortable with talking about girl issues.

Thank you for all your support and feel free to continue contributing if you would like to – we can’t express our appreciation enough to all those who support One School at a Time.

Patty Gilbert, Co-founder of One School at a Time

This is Rebecca H.’s story of her second year presenting reusable menstrual options to women at her university. We love that she’s continuing to help others make informed choices about their bodies — you rock, Rebecca!

I just wanted to thank you again for sending me some GladRags coupons and information a while back for the program that I was putting on about green feminine products. I had my program tonight at seven, and it went over really well.

I started by telling the girls my thoughts when I first heard about reusable menstrual products and how disgusting I thought they sounded but that after looking into the products more, I realized they weren’t so nasty after all. On that note, I asked that the girls keep an open mind going into the program and said that they could judge the crap out of me at the end—after they had the information. That got a chuckle. I followed that by talking about the amount of waste generated by disposable products and then talked about the cost and savings of using green products.

I had samples from three different companies, so I told my residents about the different brands and how they differ slightly in their construction and absorption. I know a lot of my residents use tampons and are also extremely active in the outdoors, so I spent the next half of the program telling the girls about menstrual cups and how convenient they can be because you don’t have to worry if you packed enough tampons for your trip and there is no waste to pack out when camping. That’s one thing I love about menstrual cups; it takes the guess work out of how much “supplies” I need to bring on trips!

The group of girls that came was really open to the concept of reusable products and that made the program run very smoothly. They were very interactive, and I discovered that two of the girls already use cloth pads and love them. That was awesome to know because they were willing to share with the group their experience with cloth pads.

I bought snacks and some organic tampons from our local Co-Op and at the end of the program I had a raffle drawing with the tampons and cloth pad donations that I received. Most of the girls seemed genuinely excited to try cloth pads, and I urged them to at least try them before they make their decision on if cloth pads are a good alternative for them.

I will be returning to UW-Stevens Point and will be working in the residence halls this fall for one more semester before I transfer to begin in a nursing program. I sincerely hope to put this program on one more time before I leave UW-Stevens Point. This was my second year doing the program, and I honestly love doing it. I feel like when my residents actually have a chance to see and feel green alternatives, their perceptions about the products change.

I realize not everyone I spoke with tonight will switch to cloth, but last year after my program two girls did. It was such a rewarding feeling when they told me they switched because of the information I provided them. I hope this year’s program also opened some eyes and more women will make the switch.

26 young women and girls were completely attentive at a recent class at their rural school in Uganda. The topic was menstruation and the facilitator was Hussein, program manager for One School at a Time.There had never been a class like this one before and the subject was both interesting and relevant. Some of the girls were already menstruating and some were not. One girl commented “menstruation is a problem because it comes when we are not prepared.”

The discussion then became a brainstorming session on how the girls could be better prepared. Everyone agreed that it would be helpful to count the 28 days between cycles, (noting plenty of variation) and then acknowledged that sanitary pads and nickers (the Ugandan word for underwear) would be needed. Hussein asked, “who needs pads?” and every single girl raised her hand.
Menstruation is one of the reasons that girls drop out of school in Uganda. Parents often can not afford to provide sanitary pads and so, reluctant to be humiliated at school, girls choose to stay home. They miss valuable class time and some eventually just drop out of school completely.

One School at a Time is fundraising now to purchase 100 Empower Kits ($22 each) for each older girl at our two partner schools in Uganda. The kit contains 5 re-useable pads. These pads are culturally appropriate (Ugandan girls are familiar with washing their menstrual rags and re-using) and will provide enough sanitary supplies to last each girl for at least three to five years. By donating a kit, you provide these girls with security and confidence and most importantly, an opportunity to stay in school. Join with us in this beautiful endeavor!

The modern day woman has lost touch with her womb. She fills her body with toxins, has a poor diet, gets no rest, and is ashamed of her body. Growing up in a patriarchal society has taught us that we should be ashamed of our bodies, needs, and desires, but the truth is that women are strong and a dynamic force. Our womb is what makes us divinely feminine. When we re-awaken ourselves to our divine right, we empower ourselves as women. The evolved feminine walks the path of beauty. She regards herself and all life as sacred. She is sovereign unto herself and relies upon her intuition and wisdom.

As the daughter and priestess of Ix Chel, I felt that I had to include this for all the women who have forgotten the phrase “Thou art Goddess”. I know from experience what its like to suffer from a menses full of pain and my body behaving out of control.Until one day I said, “No more!” If I am a part of the Goddess, and the Goddess resides in me, then I should treat my body with love and respect. I should honor the vessel I have been given by the Goddess to walk around in this world. The womb is sacred, all powerful, and the seat of creativity to a woman.

Ix Chel is the great Mayan Goddess of the moon, water, healing, childbirth, fertility, creativity, and rebirth. She is known as the Great Mother to my people, but can be found in three aspects: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. It is She that causes the blood to gather so that it may flow with the passage of each month. She gave us the gifts of creativity, knowledge of healing, and the easing of childbirth. She takes care of the women of the Earth, especially those who are on their moon (menstruating), pregnant, or nursing. She is the type of Goddess who hears the pleas of her daughters and aids them when they are in need.

Ix Chel has much wisdom to teach us, but what we’ll be focusing on is loving your womb. Our womb is ruled by the sacral chakra. It is a place of sexuality and creativity. When it becomes unbalanced, you will start to notice that your emotions can run wild, inspiration will be blocked, fertility is impaired, and relationships will begin to form problems. Our womb is a holy container. It produces the moon blood that represents both life and death. Our blood can teach us a lot about our own health and warn you of illness. When was the last time you looked at your own blood? You should not shy away from it, or from looking at your own yoni; explore it.

It is our natural cycle that mimics the moon, which is why its known as a woman’s moon cycle in many native cultures. Ix Chel teaches us that our womb is sacred. Think about the immense power and strength that it holds, the potential for life that is strictly ours, the wonders of pleasure that we receive from it, and the fact that we can bleed for days and not die. Our body naturally cleanses itself and starts anew. You can use this period to cleanse yourself and your womb of any negativity.

Before I became pregnant, I would partake in a woman’s moon cycle ritual every month on the first night of my menses. On those nights, I would call on the Goddess and thank her for my fertility. I would ask that she ease my pain and restore me in her healing waters, and in return I offered her the blood I shed. During this ritual, I would focus healing energy onto my womb and I would chant and meditate on the twenty-five womb chants. They are:

1. My womb is sacred, and so is my life.
2. My womb is precious, and so is my life.
3. My womb is divine, and so is my life.
4. My womb is love, and so is my life.
5. My womb is whole and so is my life.
6. My womb is free, and so is my life.
7. My womb is radiant, and so is my life.
8. My womb is light, and so is my life.
9. My womb is great, and so is my life.
10. My womb is celestial, and so is my life.
11. My womb is peace, and so is my life.
12. My womb is bliss, and so is my life.
13. My womb is bright, and so is my life.
14. My womb is natural, and so is my life.
15. My womb is liberated, and so is my life.
16. My womb is full of energy, and so is my life.
17. My womb is pure, and so is my life.
18. My womb is in tune, and so is my life.
19. My womb is all powerful, and so is my life.
20. My womb is the seat of my creativity, and so is my life.
21. My womb is full, and so is my life.
22. My womb is filled with prayer, and so is my life.
23. My womb is a dynamic force, and so is my life.
24. My womb is holy, and so is my life.
25. My womb is the gateway to heaven here on earth, and so is my life.

I would hold my hands over my womb and envision each line of the chant as if it was manifesting right before me. I honored my womb and all of its radiant energy. I would notice at once that any pains I had would subside and I would be filled with a sense of peace. My moontime was never a struggle when I did the ritual and took time to honor my womb and its natural ebb and flow. Sometimes we can become so busy with life and we don’t pay attention when our body says to slow down; then out of nowhere, we will crash, both emotionally and physically. The great thing is that our body naturally cleanses itself each month, giving us a chance to regenerate.

If you haven’t already done so, you should set up a sacred womb altar. It should contain images, symbols, and items that are spiritual to you and represents the womb and the divine feminine. It doesn’t have to be large or contain anything fancy. It can be as simple as a small statue and a few shells or crystals. It’s what holds the most importance to what you hope to achieve. Allow yourself to let go when you’re bleeding. Honor your emotions and express them. Create your own moon temple and put up a flag or wear a blessed piece of jewelry to let others know that you are on your moon and to respect it.

Next we must reconnect with our womb through meditation. We must listen closely to the voice of the womb. Your womb will tell you how she wants to be healed. She misses nothing, and knows all. Take a relaxing bath, eat chocolate, and do things that bring you sensual pleasure. When your womb is happy, you will be happy.
Another thing to consider is the use of sustainable menstrual products. While healing your womb, one important thing to change is your feminine products and the way you care for your yoni. First thing’s first: You do NOT need to wash out your vulva or vagina with anything other than some natural glycerin-free soap and water. Never douche because it will only end up killing off all the good bacteria and all you will have left is a killer yeast infection.

Secondly, you should really switch to cotton underwear, if you haven’t already. Sure lacey undies and thongs can make you feel sexy and all, but your vagina NEEDS to breath. So do it a favor and go commando when you can, like at home or in bed, and every other time use cotton.

Third, menstrual products play a big role in a woman’s life. There are tampons, pads, sponges, cups, and cloth pads. It’s all so confusing and overwhelming- what do you do? Well, you stop using tampons and disposable pads for one. They contain bleach and other chemicals that are shown to contribute to cervical cancer and other abnormalities. Bleach is made from chlorine and chlorine is super toxic! Not only that, tampons are known for causing Toxic Shock Syndrome. They also produce massive amounts of waste that takes hundreds of years to decompose. No good for you or the environment.

Now cloth pads and cups are where it’s at! Cloth pads are re-usable (no more running out to the store because you ran out), made in fun patterns, and easy to use and clean up. I find that I enjoy my moon a lot more when I use these body & earth friendly options.

The more you honor your womb, the easier your menses will be. The release of blood brings forth the opportunity to make a powerful offering to the divine feminine. Our womb will teach us many things, if we let it. We must promise to honor it and its wondrous and magical mystery. We cannot allow outside influences to stop the flow of divine femininity. The Great Goddess Ix Chel can and will help you heal your womb and if you choose to listen closely, she will help empower you.

Monica Divane currently lives in NYC and is happily married and expecting her first child. She is of Mayan descent and works as a Pagan Priestess.